


Star Cross'd

by LilyK



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: AU, Alternate Universes, Angst, Drama, Episode Related, First Times, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 06:54:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/795133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyK/pseuds/LilyK
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1995, Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Star Cross'd

Thanks to Double R for the fine beta job. 

This is a "Romeo & Juliet" story, Sentinel style, but without the suicides. Death of one of my own characters. Oh, and I am not nice to Naomi. Spoilers for The Switchman and Sentinel Too Parts I and II. 

* * *

Cascade, Washington  
1995 

* * *

"Come." Captain Simon Banks called out as he put down his pen. 

"Captain Banks, I'm Jim Ellison from Vice. My captain said you borrowed me for a special assignment tonight." 

"Yes, that's right. Come in and have a seat. You want coffee?" Simon waved Jim towards the conference table. 

"Yes, sir, thank you. Black, please." 

Simon scrutinized Jim as he poured. "Detective, I borrowed you because I need a handsome young man to crash a party tonight." He then began spreading a line of photographs out on the table. 

"Sir?" 

"I need someone to crash a very high profile shindig with the wealthy and famous of the Northwest, and I didn't want to use anyone from Major Crime who might be more easily recognizable " He tapped the first picture on the far left with the end of his unlit cigar. "This is Naomi Sandburg. You may have heard of her. She is one of the richest, most powerful women in America today. She took over a large family corporation in l968, and has run it with the hand of a dictator every since, making everyone in her circle extremely wealthy." 

"So, Captain, that's the American dream, isn't it? That's not a crime." 

"No, making wealth in an honest way is not a crime. In fact, it sounds pretty good to me, but we have information that leads us to believe otherwise. It seems from our unreliable source..." Simon saw Jim's raised eyebrow. "Yes, unfortunately, I said unreliable. Pillow talk, I'm afraid. I consider that type of information unreliable. Anyway, we have reason to believe that Sandburg International is a front for a fencing operation." 

Jim snickered. "Yeah, right, the richest woman in America is fencing hot stereos." 

Simon shook his head, and smiled. "I wish it were as simple as hot stereos. We have been told that it is a front for extremely rare, extremely expensive items. When a ten million-dollar painting, or a five-million-dollar diamond necklace, is heisted, when any rare and expensive artifact is stolen anywhere in the world, we believe that the item is funneled through Sandburg International, and SI collects a very large finder's fee. These kinds of items are sold to collectors who have very private collections. They aren't on display in anyone's living room. They are in private vaults for personal enjoyment, and almost never recovered." 

"Wait, Captain, isn't this some Fed case, or even an Interpol case? If this is world-wide, it's way out of our jurisdiction." 

"Yes, you're correct, if it is a case at all. And that's the problem. We need more information. Try to get close to someone in this organization. I understand Mrs. Sandburg is quite willing to share her bed with handsome gentlemen. I hope that wouldn't offend your delicate sensibilities." Simon chuckled deeply as Jim shook his head. "Or get friendly with one of her people. Anything that would let us know that there is actually something to this story. Then we would let the Feds know, and they can take it from there." 

"Yes, Sir. I can handle that. You said crash a shindig?" 

"Yes, there's a black tie affair at the Sandburg estate tonight. I've gotten you an invitation. I want you to suit up and make an appearance. We were able to obtain a fairly complete guest list, so I had my people run a check on the names listed. The attendees seem to be a relatively law-abiding bunch. A couple of DUIs, and an occasional domestic dispute, but for the most part, I don't think you would be recognized. This isn't a deep cover assignment anyway, but a fact-finding one. But, for God's sakes, be careful anyway. We don't have a lot of information about the people in this organization, or their tendencies to eliminate interference." 

Jim studied the photographs. "So, Captain, give me the run-down on the rest of these characters." 

"This is the son and heir apparent, Blair Sandburg. Age 26. Graduated a very exclusive private school by age 16, and by 22 he had his PHD in business from Yale. He manages the wholesale and retail sales of their vineyards, which is their legitimate front. We have no idea how deep his involvement goes in the organization; we assume that because he'll take over the entire organization when he turns 30, that he's in the loop. 

This is Theodore Borden. Age 53. He's been with the family for 21 years. He's the kid's mentor, guardian, bodyguard, and all around nursemaid. The son never goes anywhere without Borden, and he's licensed to carry, so be careful. 

This is Kyle Thomason, the nephew of Naomi Sandburg, also 26, and the wild one of the bunch. He's had a few run-ins with the law, mostly as a juvenile, but nothing major, and never enough for jail time, and those lawyers of his aunt's made sure he just paid a few fines. There are a few unsubstantiated reports of his temper, bar fights, things like that, but his aunt has enough money that nothing ever surfaces, and no one every talks. I get a bad feeling just looking at his picture. 

Those are the major family players. You think you can do this? I hope I'm not ruining your Saturday date night, but your captain couldn't stop bragging how you broke that Henderson case a few weeks ago. He said that you were on stake-out alone for five days before your team got a break." 

"Thank you, Sir. Yes, Sir. I'm happy to do it, even if I do have to wear a tux." 

* * *

Blair Sandburg tried to fix the bow tie on his tuxedo, failing miserably. "God, I hate these things. Why does my mother have to insist that I attend? She knows how much I hate formal occasions." 

A low, soft chuckle responded to Blair's questions as strong, brown hands reached to fix and straighten the tie. Theodore Borden looked his charge over from head to foot. Blair stood quietly as his mentor scrutinized his appearance, watching Teddy through dark lashes. He loved Teddy as a father, something he never missed because Teddy had always been there for as long as he could remember. When Theodore Borden had been assigned the duties of bodyguard and companion to the young Blair over twenty years ago, he had been a young man, tall, dark and muscular, with thick black hair and stern brown eyes. Now his hair had begun to gray at the temples, even though he was still in as good as physically possible, for an old man, as he often pointed out to Blair. 

He smiled fondly at Blair. He loved his charge as the son he never had. In fact, he had forgone marriage and children to remain at Blair's side through his youth, adolescence and young manhood. He worried now that Mrs. Sandburg would find a reason to replace him as her son's mentor now that Teddy was starting to show his age. He dreaded the day when he would be forced to relinquish his guardianship of Blair. But Blair was the successor to a vast fortune, and when he reached his thirtieth birthday, he would be allowed to take control of the dominion of Sandburg International. Then Teddy's usefulness would certainly be at an end. 

"There. You look perfect. Your mother will be pleased." 

Blair looked impeccable in the custom-made tuxedo. His long, brown hair was curly and sun-streaked with red tones, and was pulled back at the nape of his neck. It was secured with a silver clasp detailed with two black onyx stones, while a similar stone graced his left ear. His mother would probably purse her lips and shake her head because he was not wearing the diamond stud she had recently given him. Blair felt pretentious in it, so it sat glittering on his dresser. Besides, he felt the lustrous black stone was more refined, and more suitable for a man. 

Blair sighed. "Yes, I know. When Mother is pleased, all is right with the world." He slid a finger into the collar and pulled, giving himself a little bit more space to breathe. 

Teddy patted his shoulders, smiling. "Blair, you should change that earring. She's not going to be happy about the one you're wearing." 

"No way. I feel uncomfortable in that diamond. Maybe she won't notice." Even as the words left his mouth, he started to laugh. Teddy joined in. Mother noticed every detail, from the top of his head down to the soles of his shoes. 

"It's getting late. She's expecting you, so you had better hurry." Teddy gave Blair a slight pat on the head. Blair grinned warmly at his mentor, and hugged him quickly. 

"Thanks, Teddy. I'll see you downstairs later." 

* * *

Blair straightened his shoulders as he set a course for the ballroom on the first floor of the palatial mansion. As he neared his destination, he could hear the strains of the orchestra playing a waltz. He groaned silently to himself. He knew his mother would expect him to dance with certain young ladies that she had hand-picked for his attentions. He glanced at the Rolex on his left wrist. 8:30 p.m. Right on time. And only four hours to bear until he could escape his duties as the son of Naomi Sandburg, richest woman on the West Coast, CEO of Sandburg International, and overseer of Blackhawk Vineyards. 

Blair stopped as he passed one of the windows overlooking the rolling fields that lay to the back of the estate. Four hundred acres of some of the finest vineyards in the entire United States. He smiled fondly as his eyes drank in the lush plantings. How he loved those grapes. This is what he was born for, he was sure, and where he felt his happiest, out in the fields, tending and caring for the vines. And the end results, wonderful, sweet, tantalizing juice of grapes that turned into one of man's greatest pleasure, wine. 

A throat cleared behind him, startling him out of his reverie. He turned, meeting the smiling eyes of his cousin, Kyle Thomason. "Hey, coz, how's it going?" 

Kyle crossed the space between them, smiling, and punched Blair hard in the arm. 

He grinned wickedly. "Come on, day dreamer, your mother asked me to find you. You're in trouble now." 

With the rivalry between them since they were children, Kyle enjoyed it when Blair was in trouble with Naomi. Something that Blair tried hard to avoid, but still seemed to happen more often than he liked. Blair grinned back as he took a swipe at Kyle, connecting with a good right on his chest. Even though Kyle was a taller and heavier than Blair, Blair had been the best student in his martial arts and self-defense classes through the years, and he was able to give better than he got most of the time. Kyle tried to stay out of his way. There was power behind that punch, Kyle knew from experience. 

Blair started once again in the direction of the ballroom, Kyle fast on his heels. They were only a few months apart, but that is where the similarities ended. Even though they were first cousins, Kyle's coloring was light and fair, with blonde hair and green eyes. He was tall and slender, built more like a long distance runner than a weight lifter. Blair was compact, with strong shoulders and muscular legs. While Blair was lean, he was not thin, and often fooled his fellow sparring partners with his quick and powerful grace. 

* * *

The men reached the large, tastefully decorated ballroom, stopping in the doorway to survey the scene in front of them. Blair scanned the gathering of l50 of the Great Northwest's wealthiest people, every one a contributor to one of Naomi's many philanthropic organizations. His eyes finally located his mother among an adoring throng of women. Everyone loved Naomi Sandburg. She was a beautiful, mature woman who could have had her pick of many handsome, eligible men. But she chose to remain unattached, unwilling to share any of the fruits of her labors with a partner. Not that she lacked for companionship in the bedroom; many men vied for her affections. 

When Blair was born, she was only 21 at the time, but she was already a wealthy woman in charge of a large corporation. Her parents had been killed unexpectedly in a plane crash the year previously, and she stepped up to the helm of their family business without a moment's hesitation. She hired the best people to teach her the business, and completed her MBA in business administration through private instruction while she oversaw the day to day operations of her organization. 

Blair and Naomi's eyes met across the room. As he started towards her, he saw her smile and excuse herself from amongst the quests, and she met him halfway. He smiled at her as she shook her head slightly. She turned her cheek to Blair for a quick kiss. "Blair, you're fifteen minutes late." She chided him gently, her eyes warm and smiling. 

"I'm sorry, Mother. I was passing the windows overlooking the vineyards, and the moon looked so beautiful. The light was dancing off the leaves. I just had to stop and admire nature's handiwork." 

"Blair, you are such a romantic. I don't know where you get those notions. Those vineyards aren't nature's handy-work, they're from many long hours of hard work from our field workers. Come along, Blair. We must greet the Governor." Naomi turned gracefully in her champagne colored evening gown. "I have a few young ladies to point out to you who will require your attentions this evening. Several large contributions and some important business affairs will be greatly affected by your behavior towards the daughters of the families who are interested in conducting business with SI." 

Blair's warm blue eyes met Naomi's. "Of course, Mother. I'm always happy to help in anyway I can, you know that. Just point me in the right direction, and I'll take care of it." 

"Oh, and Son, please do not neglect your duties to Miranda." 

"Certainly, Mother. I'll attend to it as soon as we have greeted Governor Taylor." 

Naomi quickly touched a finger to Blair's cheek. "Thank you, Blair. I expect no less from you than your best, which you always give. Every mother should have a son as special as you." 

Blair beamed under his Mother's generous compliments. She must have a great deal at stake to be so effusive tonight. 

Naomi leaned over to Blair and whispered. "You look exceedingly handsome tonight, Blair, except for that earring." Blair had to smile. Nothing escaped his mother's attentions down to the smallest detail, but she had decided that it was not worth calling him to task on. Any small deviation from her strict guidelines was always appreciated. 

But Blair recognized the fact that her main goal was to secure his future. She was just as demanding of herself as she was of those around her. He knew that she did everything in her power to guide him so that in four short years he would be ready to take over his rightful place at the head of the business. It was Naomi's goal that he would follow in her footsteps as a formidable business leader and force to be reckoned with in the running of SI. 

Just six months ago, he had been given permission to start an Internet business regarding Blackhawk Vineyards. He had convinced his mother that the Internet was going to be the wave of the future, and Blackhawk had a chance to be in on the ground floor. It was proving to be a commercial success beyond his wildest expectations, and he was thrilled to be involved once again in the operation of the vineyards. They were his true love, and since Naomi had decided a year ago that he was to relinquish the day to day hands-on operations in exchange for the business operations from their downtown office, he had missed the days spent outdoors in the winery. 

He loved everything about making wine, but now, the only time he seemed to find his way to the cellars were few and far between. He missed it a great deal, and at least now, he still had a good excuse to keep in close contact with the vintners. If it were his choice, he would never step inside an office every again, but he owed it to his family to do what he was born to do, run SI. One thing that had been drilled into Blair Sandburg's head since he could walk and talk was his duty and that was to Sandburg International. It never entered his mind to question his destiny, or to dream he had the right to follow his own path. 

* * *

The party was well under way when Jim Ellison made his appearance a little before 10:00 p.m. He presented his invitation to the doorman when requested, and was admitted without question. He had been impressed driving up the long, cobbled lane leading to the three story stone mansion set among meticulously kept lawns and gardens. He was impressed at the grandeur of the inside the mansion as well. He chuckled as he pictured his entire loft fitting into the entryway. 

He followed several other guests towards the sounds of orchestra music. It was soothing and finely played. He was happy about that, since for the last few weeks he had been experiencing headaches randomly, something that he had never suffered from until recently. 

He stopped inside the doorway, and scanned the crowded room. He recognized a few faces from the local newspaper, and the Governor of the State of Washington, but as far as the rest of the crowd went, Jim was far out of the loop of wealthy people. His world consisted of the station, his loft, his favorite bar, and a few neighborhood restaurants he frequented. None of these people would tread in his world. 

Jim spied the bar, and headed in that direction without hesitation, taking in and categorizing the faces he passed on his journey. He had an excellent memory, and he enjoyed observing subjects in their natural habitat. He smiled at several attractive women who caught his eye on his way across the room. Jim had the elegance to carry off a rented tuxedo, something few men could do well. He leaned on the bar, and asked for a beer, which was served from a silver tap in a very fine crystal glass. He took a polite sip, and scanned the room, looking for the head honcho herself, Naomi Sandburg. 

There she was, absolutely stunning in a courtier gown from Paris. She was older than he was, but he would have never guessed it if Captain Banks hadn't filled him in on the details. He thought wickedly how he would enjoy a little of that pillow talk the Captain had mentioned with the said Mrs. Sandburg. He casually started in her direction, intending on asking her to dance, when a clumsy waiter crashed into an unsuspecting guest, sending a tray with a dozen champagne glasses crashing to the floor. Jim had been focusing on Naomi when the sounds reached his ears. Without knowing why, the sounds sent a stab of agonizing pain through his head. He winced as his hand reached up to his forehead to try and rub away the pain, the glass in his hand teetering, and spilling some of its contents onto the floor. 

A firm hand grasped his lower arm, removed the glass from his hand, and spoke to him. "Excuse me. Are you okay? What's wrong?" 

He tried to look at the face that went with the deep voice, but once again the pain shot across his forehead. "My head. It's killing me." He mumbled. He wrapped his arm around his stomach, the pain making him suddenly nauseous. 

"Come on. Let's get you outside for some fresh air." 

* * *

Across the crowded room, Naomi examined the revelers. She was very pleased at how well things were progressing. As her eyes took in the guests, they lit on a tall, handsome man getting a drink from the bar. She ran them up and down him appraisingly. She was in the mood for a change, and he seemed quite appealing. She smiled to herself, and tapped her nephew, Kyle, on the shoulder. 

"Kyle, who is that attractive man at the bar? Light brown hair, tall, and well built. I would so like to meet him. He looks positively scrumptious." 

Kyle laughed at the look on his aunt's face. Whoever was in her sights was in for a rare treat. Kyle would have liked to sample the treats himself, but for the family ties, so he had to settle for an occasional fantasy regarding his aunt, and the occasional troll for someone more suitable for her pleasure. His grin dropped from his face, and he advanced a step, swearing under his breath. "Damn it. Who let that asshole in here?" 

Naomi's strong hand grasped his coat sleeve. She spun her nephew on his heels to face her, clamped a hand on his waist, and pulled him onto the nearby dance floor. 

"Kyle, what the hell has gotten in to you?" 

"That man, the one you were ogling. I know him. He's a damned cop. He's the prick who busted me two years ago with a crummy ounce of pot. He's Vice." 

Naomi's mind clicked into overdrive. "A cop? Are you sure?" 

Kyle grimaced. "Yes, Naomi, I'm sure, and I plan on doing something about it." 

Naomi's voice was icy; her fingers dug into his arm. "You seem to be forgetting who's in charge here, Kyle. Do you think he recognized you?" 

"Not a chance. It was that frat party at Rainier. You remember. You were just a bit angry with me about my hair being dyed purple and spiked. There must have been 20 or more people arrested in that sweep. Besides, with that fake ID I had on me, and your clever manipulations, I still have a record as white as the driven snow." 

Naomi scowled at her nephew. "And, as I remember correctly, it cost me about ten thousand to get the entire sorry affair buried. You were lucky I had that informant in the Cascade PD, or you would have been thrown out faster than you could say, no inheritance." 

She glanced back at the subject of their conversation once again, thinking out loud. "There's only one reason for a cop to come undercover to my party. Some bastard is talking in his sleep. I'll bet you a hundred grand on it." 

Suddenly, the sounds of a crash and breaking glass assailed Naomi's ears. Her attention was diverted for a second. Kyle started to pull out of her grasp but she held fast. "No! I refuse to let you make a scene at this gathering. It's far too important. You have my permission to make discreet inquiries tomorrow. I want none of your strong-arm shenanigans in public. I don't work that way, and you know it." He stood silently. "Kyle?" Her tone brooked no argument. 

"Yes, Naomi. You're right. You're always right. But tomorrow, I will find out who sent him, and why. Then all bets are off, and he's fair game." 

Naomi affectionately patted her nephew's handsome cheek. "Of course, Kyle. I can always count of you. Handle this properly, and you might find that little boat you've had your eye on in your slip at the marina after all." 

Kyle watched the cop as his cousin approached him. He saw Blair put his hand under the cop's elbow and start to lead him away. With a last look at the cop and Blair as they disappeared through the French doors to the veranda, Kyle shut the two of them from his mind...for now. 

* * *

Jim allowed the man to lead him out the closest set of French doors, across the flagstone terrace, and to the steps leading into the manicured garden. Jim faltered slightly, so the man stopped, and gently pushed him onto the steps. "Just sit here until the pain passes. Should I call you a doctor?" 

Jim breathed in and out deeply several times until some of the pain started to subside. Then he raised his eyes, and looked into the dusky blue eyes of his rescuer. As their eyes met, and Jim felt a dj vu flash wash over him, startling him. He shook his head and closed his eyes; his face was pale. 

"I'm calling a doctor, right now." The man took a few steps back towards the house. 

"No. No, please don't. I'm fine. I've, ah, I've been suffering from migraines for the past three or four weeks. I've been to the doctors. They say its stress." Another sharp stab of pain crossed his forehead as the music started up again. He breathed through his nose harshly and rose. "I have to get away from the noise. It's killing me." 

The man put a hand under Jim's elbow and led him across the garden, through a white wrought iron gate, and out into the cool night air. He pulled Jim to a halt, and stood in front of him, holding his forearms, steadying him. 

"Take deep, even breaths. In and out. Come on, you can do it." 

Jim complied, grateful when the pain started to subside. The cool air on his skin helped also. He hadn't realized how hot he had become when the pain started. He finally was able to look at his companion. He recognized Blair Sandburg from the photograph he had studied on the Captain's table not more than four hours ago. This might be the opportunity he needed regarding his undercover assignment. He gave Blair a lopsided smile. "Thanks. I 'm sorry you had to leave the party. I'm Jim Ellison." He held out his hand to Blair. 

Blair gave him a wide smile, blue eyes bright and friendly. "I'm Blair Sandburg. It's very nice to meet you." 

As Jim grasped Blair's hand, hot tingles traveled up his arm, down his torso, and through his legs. He sucked in a quick breath, and released Blair's hand immediately. 

"What is it? Did I hurt you?" 

"You didn't feel that." 

"No, I felt nothing unusual. A bit of static electricity, perhaps." 

"It's just probably from these damned headaches." Jim sighed and rubbed his forehead and temples, willing the rest of the pain away. 

"You said you had been to the physicians for these headaches. What do they say is the cause of them?" Blair laughed lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was very rude of me to ask you so personal a question. Sometimes, I tend to ramble and be nosy without realizing the consequences. Please accept my apology." 

Jim smirked. "No. It's okay. I haven't told anybody about them, other than the doctors." Jim smirked. He didn't have anybody to tell, other than his Captain and a few drinking buddies on the force. He was a loner with no family and few friends. He told himself that he preferred it that way. 

"Why not?" Maybe someone can help?" 

"Nobody to tell." Jim growled. Why was he relaying personal information to this guy? He needed to have his head examined again, because something was wrong. Not only did he need to tell Blair; he wanted to tell Blair. What the hell was wrong with him? 

"Mr. Ellison, there's a bench over in the next row of vines. Let's sit down, and you can tell me about the headaches. I know quite a few specialists, and maybe if I know more, I can think of someone who might be able to help you. Perhaps you should consider some alternative approach, meditation or yoga." He turned without waiting for Jim's reply. Jim silently followed. Blair sat on the old, weathered stone bench, and patted the space next to him as he smiled and patiently waited for Jim to speak. 

"Please call me Jim. Mr. Ellison is my father." Jim rubbed his hand across his forehead, sighing. "It all started about four weeks. I went to the hospital, and they ran all kinds of tests. They can tell me what it's not. It's not a brain tumor, or epilepsy, or any one of a dozen other brain diseases. After two days, three doctors decided it was job stress, and gave me some sedatives. I tried one, and was unconscious for twelve hours. I haven't taken another one since." 

Blair sat quietly, thinking. "What happened just before the headaches started? Did you suffer from something stressful, say, a divorce, or a family member or friend's death? Anything like that?" 

'No. It's just the same thing. I'm at the same job, doing the same thing." 

"What job is that?" 

That's when Jim knew he was headed for the psycho ward, because before he could stop himself, he had blurted it out. "I'm a cop." 

"Well, hell, Jim, that's a damned stressful occupation. No wonder you're getting headaches. You'd better think about doing something else before you make yourself even sicker." 

Jim looked at Blair incredulously. If Sandburg were into something illegal, the last thing Jim would have expected is Blair's suggestion to consider an alternative occupation to relieve his symptoms. Either that or he was a damned good actor. Jim stared with his mouth open for several seconds, before he clamped his teeth together. He was a great undercover cop, wasn't he? He was disgusted with himself. 

Blair was oblivious to Jim's inner turmoil. "So if nothing along those lines happened, what else was going on? Did you shoot someone, or get shot at? Something had to trigger the episodes." 

Then it hit Jim. No, it couldn't be. But that was what he had done almost the whole week before the first headache. 

"Blair, I remember the only thing happening is that I was on stake out alone for five days. But that couldn't trigger headaches, could it? It was nice and quiet, and I enjoyed it. No one yelling; no one shooting; just watching the perps, and taking photos of their comings and goings." 

Blair sat quietly once again. He remembered the reaction Jim had when the music had started while they were sitting on the veranda, and his reactions to the noise of the tray falling and the glasses crashing. He thought about the five days on stake out, and isolation. It was nagging the back of his mind. He had read something, but what was it? There! That book he had bought from the second hand store in SoHo last year, the one by Sir Richard Burton. 

"Jim, I think I might have an idea, but I have to do some research. Why don't you give me your phone number, and I'll call you tomorrow? Then we can meet, and I'll let you know what I've found out. How does that sound?" 

Jim felt at ease with this young man. His cop instincts told him he was safe. His inner voice told him Blair was earnest. He was anxious to find a cure for his problems so he could resume his duties at full strength. He continued to stare right at Blair's face, thinking, deciding, when his vision tunneled, his hearing blocked out, his eyes glazed over, and without a sound, he toppled over. 

Blair reacted quickly. He slid to his knees, lifting Jim's head, putting it gently in his lap, and patting his cheeks. Jim's eyes were open and unblinking. Blair instinctively ran his hand up and down Jim's cheek, talking the entire time. "Jim! Jim! Come on. Wake up. Please, Jim, please wake up." Finally, after several minutes, Jim blinked once, twice, and sighed heavily. He pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Jim, can you hear me? Please answer me or I'm going to call an ambulance." 

"Blair? What happened?" Jim asked in a raspy, dry voice. 

"Oh, man, I have no idea. I thought you were in a trance or catatonic or whatever. It was really weird." 

Blair put his arm around Jim's shoulders, and helped him sit up. Blair's face was just inches from Jim's, while his hand rested against Jim's chest. Jim's brain was on autopilot. At least that's what he told himself after it happened. After he put his hand behind Blair's head, and pulled their lips together, touching for a gentle kiss. 

Jim dropped his hand as if Blair's head was on fire. Lightning flashed through his body, starting at his lips, and ending at his groin. Jim groaned deeply, and pulled away as their eyes met. His mouth was partially opened, and he was breathing heavily as Blair advanced into his space, sliding his hand behind Jim's head. Jim never spoke and never moved as Blair's lips pressed against his, softly at first, then harder. Jim moaned, and his dick began to swell. His lips were soft and velvety as Blair slid his tongue gently across them, and when Jim's mouth parted, Blair slid his tongue in, and hungrily explored the hot recesses. 

Jim's hand reached up and cupped Blair's head, locking their mouths, and their tongues entwined as they kissed, passionately and noisily. When they finally parted, both men were panting. Jim's hand reached down, and unbuttoned and unzipped Blair's pants, his eyes never leaving Blair's face, watching for any sign of withdrawal. All he saw in those smoldering eyes was passion. As Blair followed suit, wrapping his hand around Jim's hard shaft and stroking gently at first, then harder, Jim reciprocated by clasping Blair's dick, and matching Blair's strokes with his own. 

Their mouths found each other again, touching, sucking, and licking. The sparks flew, and the orgasms sang as they came one after the other, hard and fast. Blair moaned and pressed his head to Jim's shoulder as Jim's hand stroked the back of Blair's head, and he kissed the side of his face. After the trembling and shudders had run their course, they parted and shakily adjusted themselves, smiling at each other shyly. 

Blair licked his lips. "That was fantastic." 

Jim watched Blair, and when Blair's tongue flicked out across his lips, Jim's shaft twitched as a hot wave of desire hit his groin. "Oh, my God. What was that?" 

Blair's laugh was deep. "That was sex." 

"Yeah, I know. I was there, remember?" 

Blair laughed again. "You mean, where did it come from and why, don't you?" 

Jim joined in Blair's laughter. "Yes. Why, I have no idea. It felt right." 

Blair reached out and laced his fingers with Jim's, kissing the back of Jim's hand. "It felt right. Jim?" 

"Yes?" 

"Have you ever done..." Jim kissed Blair's lips lightly. //that before.// 

"No. Have you?" 

"Oh, no. Did you like..." Another kiss. //it?// 

"Yes. Did you?" 

"Yes. Are we going to..." Another kiss. //do it again?// 

"Oh, yes. Do you want to?" 

"Yes, please. How do you know what I'm..." Another kiss. //going to say?// 

"I have no idea." They both laughed. It was just so silly, they couldn't hold in their merriment. 

Blair stood, and reached out his hand. "Come on. We'll have to sneak in the servants' entrance, and get up to my room by the back stairs. We need to get cleaned up. Teddy is probably looking for me right now." Jim put his hand in Blair's, letting Blair pull him to his feet. They quietly stole through the herb garden behind the kitchen. "Jim, just be quiet." Blair giggled. "I used to sneak in all the time when I was a kid. I hardly ever got caught. Just follow me." 

Silently, they crept through the garden door into the empty kitchen. Jim followed closely on Blair's heels, watching his ass through his trousers. It made Jim's mouth water, it looked so inviting. He admonished himself severely. He was here on police assignment, and he was having hot sex with the soon-to-be family patriarch. He was a damned lousy cop, but a happy one. He would think about what they had done later. Right now, he hadn't had this much fun since before his mother left, over 20 years ago. 

* * *

Finally, after two sets of stairs and innumerable closed doors, Blair opened one of the many doors, hit the light switch, and pulled Jim in by his hand roughly. He quickly closed the door, and clicked the lock into place. He leaned back against it, laughing; his hair was askew, pulled from its restraint. It was long and curly, and Jim had to restrain himself as his fingers itched to touch it. 

"Come on. The bathroom's through here." 

Jim finally looked around. "Blair, just how many rooms does this place have?" 

"Thirty-six." 

"You're kidding? Is this your room?" 

"Yes, why?" 

"It's bigger than my whole apartment. It's pretty nice." 

"Oh, yeah, thanks. What's mine is yours. Make yourself comfortable, very comfortable. See, there's my bed. Hint. Hint " Blair was grinning sexily at Jim. 

"Blair, we just met an hour ago, and we've already gone beyond the bounds of friendship. Give me a break, okay?" 

Blair crossed the space between he and Jim gracefully, and threw his arms around Jim's neck, pulling Jim's lips onto his. "Screw the break. Better yet..." 

He pulled Jim across the room while still kissing him amorously. Jim put his hands on Blair's hips, following willingly, until the backs of Blair's knees hit the bed, and he fell, pulling Jim on top of him. Jim's insatiable mouth covered Blair's, his dick hard and aching. Blair's erection was as hard as Jim's was, and they were rubbing against each other, hot and needy. Someone rattled the doorknob, and knocked sharply. "Blair? Why is this door locked?" More knocking, harder. "Blair!" 

Time stopped. Blair slid his hand over Jim's mouth as he put his lips to Jim's ear. "Teddy. I'll have to open the door. You have to go. Now. Down the fire escape. Please, Jim." 

Jim considered. He wasn't used to sneaking around, but then again, he wasn't used to having sex with rich, attractive, possible suspects to crime, either. Jim nodded, rising quickly. Blair opened the long windows leading to the fire escape. Jim threw a leg over, and stopped. Their eyes met. Blair kissed him hard and quick. 

Jim smiled. "Tomorrow?" 

"Yes, tomorrow. Wait! Your phone number." 

Blair pressed his ear to Jim's lips, he whispered, and then he was gone. 

* * *

Blair tore into the bathroom, and threw the faucets wide open, hitting the shower button. He pulled off his tux quickly, and tossed it on the floor. He wrapped a towel around his waist, and went to open the door. Teddy glowered at him. 

"What the hell are you doing? I've been looking for you for over an hour." He surveyed the room critically, and saw the rumpled bed cover. "Did you have a woman up here? You're mother won't tolerate that, Blair." 

Blair looked innocent. "No, no woman. Honest. I'm going to take a shower, and then I'm hopping straight into bed." 

As Blair jumped into the shower, Teddy saw Blair's tux thrown on the floor and automatically went over and picked it up. One of his many duties over the years was cleaning up after his often-sloppy boy. He started to fold the trousers when he noticed the large, wet stain. He held up the trousers, also noting the dirt and bits of grass clinging to the soft fabric. He had enough lovers over the years. He knew what had been going on. He stood for several minutes, thinking. Blair was usually not a liar. He had said he did not have a woman in his room. Teddy's mouth dropped open as the thought hit him. Not a woman, a man. He took the tuxedo with him, intending to deliver it to the cleaners personally. 

Teddy was not surprised that Blair had a man in his room. Teddy's sensibilities about gender were not involved, but he was surprised and frightened that Blair had had anyone in his room in his mother's house. He should know better, but obviously, he didn't. Teddy was becoming more upset the more he thought about it. 

While Teddy believed that Naomi Sandburg loved her son, he also knew that she had specific plans for his future. He knew that on Blair's 28th birthday, his engagement to Miranda Samuelson would be announced with an April wedding to follow. Naomi did not see fit to ask Blair his opinion. It didn't work that way. He had been informed of the engagement, and he would be informed of the wedding date. He would also be informed that a grandchild must make an appearance within the year after the wedding. Of course, there would be a grandchild. Naomi had seen to it that both Blair and Miranda had been tested, and both were fertile. The Samuelsons were happy to provide their doctor's verification of Miranda's fertility. Blair's had been tested during a routine physical when he had complied with the doctor's request for a semen sample to rule out certain inherited diseases. Naomi left nothing to chance. 

Since Blair turned sixteen, Teddy always made "arrangements" for Blair should he desire the company of a young lady. Teddy carefully picked young, fresh-faced women who were highly paid and highly skilled. The heir was too important to be allowed to pick a lover of his own choosing. With disease and pregnancy lurking, nothing was left to chance. All Blair had to do was ask, like he usually did, and he was provided with whatever he required. Up until now, Blair had never requested the company of a man. Teddy wondered what was different this time, and what had happened. Things like this did not improve his overly protective concern for his boy. 

* * *

Jim's telephone rang about 11:30 a.m. "Ellison." 

"Hello, Jim. It's Blair Sandburg. Do you remember me?" 

Jim laughed. "Yes, Blair Sandburg. I remember you." 

Blair laughed, too. "Good. I'm at the corporate penthouse in the SI Building on 18th street. Take the blue elevator at the East entrance. Punch in 29879. It will bring you directly here. 

"Blair, I'm not sure about this. I'm not used to penthouses and mansions, stuff like that." 

"Jim, I have some specific information regarding your headaches. You will be pleased at what I've found out. No one will disturb us." 

"Okay. I'll be there in 30 minutes." 

"29879. Bye." 

* * *

When Jim walked into the penthouse of the SI Building, he was once again impressed by opulence. He was getting tired of being overwhelmed by luxury. When the elevator opened to the penthouse and Jim walked through, Blair stood a few feet from the door, waiting for Jim to make the first move. After all, he was on home turf. He wanted to give Jim the visitor's advantage. Jim smiled at his friend, and walked over to his side, giving Blair a quick hug, and nuzzling his hair. 

Jim was also getting tired of being surprised at how he felt around Blair. He felt safe and protected; like he belonged with Blair. He had no idea where that idea came from, and instead of frightening him, it comforted him. Being this close with another human being usually sent Jim running to the other side of the state, but not with Blair. Why? He had sat up all night trying to figure it out, with no results, other than a headache from lack of sleep. 

"Hello, Jim. I'm glad you came. What do you have in those bags?" 

Jim held up a white, greasy bag, and a brown one. "I brought lunch." 

"Really? I could have had the corporate kitchen fix you something to eat. You didn't have to bring lunch." 

"To hell with the fancy kitchen. I brought Wonderburgers with the works, chili cheese fries, and root beer." 

Blair laughed at Jim's obvious enthusiasm for his choice of food. "Great! Ah, Jim, I've never had a Wonderburger." 

"My God, Blair, where have you been? They're practically a shrine in Cascade." 

"Jim, I've driven by Wonderburger a lot of times. And I've had hamburgers, of course, but just not a Wonderburger. But it smells great, so let's eat. Then I'll show you what I've discovered." 

They sat at the dining table and spread out their feast. Blair dug in. Jim liked the unpretentious way about him. Jim watched Blair eat his Wonderburger, lick chili from his fingers, and guzzle two cans of root beer. Jim wanted to lick the chili from Blair's fingers himself. 

Blair leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach. Jim noticed he seemed to have a nice, firm stomach. His fingers longed find out for himself, and he had a hard time controlling his desire. Jim decided when he returned home, he had to have a long talk with himself about this sudden craving he had for Blair Sandburg. 

"Man, that was great. Thank you so much. I'll be having those a lot more, I can just tell." 

Jim laughed. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." 

They got up and cleared the table. Blair grabbed his briefcase, dropped it on the table, and popped the locks. He pulled out several large stacks of paper and one very old, ratty brown book. "The Sentinels of Paraguay" was lettered across the tome, faded and worn. Blair sat next to Jim and took him on a tour of his findings. 

"This book is by Sir Richard Burton. The explorer, not the actor. It was written over a hundred years ago. This is about what Sir Richard called "Sentinels". He studied tribes in South America, and explained that each tribe had a Sentinel, a protector." 

Jim was intrigued as he looked at the old sepia-toned plates of fierce warriors with painted faces, spears and feathers in their hair. "You mean like the Indians had, like a scout?" 

"Well, kind of, but different. They scouted for game, and watched for enemies, sure, but they were different, genetically different. They had what is called hyperactive senses. They were born with them, and with years of practice, they honed their abilities into fine tools. They could see what other people couldn't, smell what others couldn't; feel, taste, hear, all what other people couldn't. They could sense a change of weather patterns; hear enemies or game from far away, things like that. I think that might be what you're experiencing." 

"Why would you think that?" 

"Another aspect that Sir Richard points out is that prolonged isolation seemed to heighten these naturally occurring senses. You said you had been alone on stake-out for five days. Then last night, the sounds of the tray falling hurt your head. So did the music when it started back up. You said it was too loud. It was really not very loud for a normal hearing person, say, like me. Then in the vineyard, when you were watching me, you were focused on sight, and you sort of tranced out on me. Well, Sir Richard also wrote that when a Sentinel is using one of his senses at the exclusion of the others, that he blocks out the other senses, creating a "zone out"." 

"Wait, that sounds dangerous. A zone out? What happens if that kicks in unexpectedly in the middle of a car chase or a shoot out? Then what am I supposed to do? I don't like this all." Jim's voice was tense. "I didn't ask for any of this. Let's just get rid of them before they become an even bigger problem." 

Blair looked at him solemnly. "Hey, listen, you're killing the messenger here. I'm not responsible for your predicament. If you're going to bitch at me about something I didn't have anything to do with, you can handle this yourself. I'm just trying to help. After all, I'm only interested in your body. To hell with delving into your senses and abilities. Besides, I have absolutely no idea how to get rid of them. It seems to me that if they were genetic, that would be an improbability anyway. " 

Jim stared at Blair, opened his mouth, and then clamped it shut. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. "Sorry, Blair. It's just that, well, I just don't know what to do. I didn't ask for any of this. You're the only one who has had any idea what's going on. Will you help me learn to control my senses? I guess if I can't get rid of them, I had better learn to control them. Please, Chief." 

A smile broke over Blair's face. Jim had called him a nickname. He had never had one before. Having a nickname made him feel special. Blair touched Jim's arm. "Yes, Jim, I'll try to help you, as long as you understand that I have no idea what I'm doing. I just want you to be safe. We'll have to tackle this together." 

"That makes two of us. I want to be safe, and I sure as hell don't have any idea what I'm doing. Thanks, Blair. So where were we before you got your feathers ruffled?" 

Blair laughed. "Of course, I'm the one who was bitchy. You're lucky you're so damned sexy, or you would be on your own in a heartbeat. Where were we? Right, zone outs. Yes, they can be dangerous, so Sir Richard points out that a Sentinel had a companion, a backup, like you cops say, to watch out for him, to make sure he doesn't zone out in a dangerous situation. This companion guides the Sentinel back if he zones out. Remember last night when you woke back up? I was talking to you and touching your face. That seemed to help you refocus." 

"You know, I could kind of hear your voice when I was zonked. I know this sounds weird, but my mind followed it." 

"No, that makes sense, according to what little research I've found. I was thinking about the wine tasters we employ at Blackhawk, who have a very acute sense of taste. I know that perfume companies pay a great deal of money for people with very receptive nasal responses. But unfortunately, there isn't much known of modern Sentinels. I figure you might be a genetic throwback." 

"Now why doesn't that sound very good? I don't think I like being a genetic throwback." 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. I'm just trying to figure this out. And if you'll let me, I have a couple of simple experiments to give us a hint on how this works. What do you say?" 

"Experiments? Will it hurt?" 

Blair laughed. "Jim, you look like a pretty tough guy. You're afraid I would hurt you?" 

Jim smiled. "No. I don't think you would hurt me. So, let's see what you got." 

"Great. Let's do an easy one first. You just sit here." Blair disappeared into the bathroom. "Okay, Jim, very slowly try to smell what I have in my hand." 

Jim sniffed quickly in Blair's direction, causing a stab of pain to hit his head. He must have made a sound because Blair came from behind the door and stood in front of him. "What happened?" 

"I sniffed and it hurt." 

"You must have tried sniffing too much or too hard. Let's try it a different way." Blair scanned the room. "Okay. Let's try this. See that radio? I want you to picture the knob or dial in your mind. Put numbers around it like a clock, one through twelve. Start at one, and move slowly up the dial. Okay?" 

"Yup, that sounds easy enough." Jim closed his eyes, and followed Blair's instructions. "Blair, it's something like minty, like mint mouthwash. And you washed your hair this morning with herbal shampoo." 

Blair smiled. "Jim, that was just great. You're getting the hang of this, aren't you?" 

Jim nodded. "Yeah, the dials really help. Let's try something else." 

"Okay. Let's try your sight." Blair grabbed the phone book, and crossed the room, fishing in his pocket for his glasses. He held up the book. "Tell me the address and phone number for John Fitzgerald." 

Jim focused. "Which one? There are six of them. John F. lives at 345 Maple Lane, 345-5562." 

"Oh, man, you are so good. Come over to the window, and let's try your long-range vision. Can you see out on the harbor?" 

"Yeah." 

"How far do you think that is?" 

"A mile or more, probably. There's a boat with the name "Sea Serpent:" written on the side." 

"Damn, Jim, that's great. What else to you want to try?" 

"Touch?" Jim turned Blair to face him, and brushed his lips against Blair's so inviting mouth, and sighed. "Let's do taste. You taste marvelous." Jim kissed him again and again, harder and harder. As Blair's hands snaked up Jim's back and stopped on his shoulderblades, Jim's hands found Blair's ass as he ground Blair's erection against his leg. Jim breathed heavily, and Blair made small whimpers in the back of his throat that drove Jim crazy. 

"Which way to the bedroom?" He asked huskily. 

Blair pulled Jim by the waistband of his jeans. He walked backwards, keeping his eyes glued on Jim's face. When Blair stopped against the bedroom door, Jim pinned him while he captured Blair's lips with his, savoring the spicy Blair flavor, doing something Jim had never done before. He catalogued Blair's taste right into his brain, indelibly and forever. Jim's lips roamed the side of Blair's face and his ear, sucking on his earlobe, sending goose bumps down Blair's arms. As Blair moaned and wiggled against Jim, he sent waves of electricity through Jim's body. Then Jim nuzzled Blair's hair, once again cataloging the Blair fragrance. 

"Blair, you smell wonderful. You taste wonderful. I want you." Their eyes met. Blair nodded as Jim opened the door and led him to the bed. 

Blair whispered huskily. "Please, Jim, make love to me." 

Jim licked his lips, nodding. A scent hit him. New and sensual, musky and enticing. He smelled Blair's sexual arousal, and it went straight into his groin. He groaned as he slowly undressed Blair, and gazed at his lover's body for the first time. His eyes drank in Blair's strong shoulders and slim waist, his hairy, firm chest with brown nipples hiding in the fur. Jim ran his hand over Blair's flat, furry stomach, and into the line of dark hair leading into his pants. Jim caressed the warm skin, enjoying the feel of it slip under his fingers. 

Jim slid Blair's pants and silk boxers to his ankles, pulled off his shoes and socks, and tossed the clothes haphazardly behind him. Blair was gloriously naked now. Jim's eyes scanned Blair's full penis rising from a dark patch of hair, and balls wrapped in silky skin. He was perfect. Blair scooted up onto the bed, and Jim climbed next to him, unable to wait any longer to touch him. His hands explored every inch. His mouth licked and kissed everything. His hands, teeth and tongue were never still. Jim sent Blair's body into bliss and his mind into orbit. 

Jim held him close as his orgasm gathered and sent Blair over the edge. He came hard and long, and he panted, moaned and cried out his pleasure. Jim was relentless, hardly gave Blair time to breathe. He made love to Blair like he had never made love to anyone before. Jim made a quick trip to the bathroom for something, anything to use as a lubricant, and stripped his clothes from his body. Blair lay sprawled in abandon. He was so beautiful that Jim's breath caught in his throat. Jim had to laugh at himself. Twenty-four hours ago, the idea that he would ever sleep with a man was the farthest thought from his mind, and now here he was, hopelessly, passionately in love with Blair Sandburg. He must be insane. His entire existence as James Ellison, hard ass cop without emotion, and lady-killer extraordinaire, went right out the window. 

He climbed on the bed and gathered Blair in his arms, scooting Blair's back against his chest. He nuzzled Blair's neck and ears, kissing and sucking every inch of skin. He whispered into Blair's ear. "I want to make love to you. I've never done this before. I have some lube. Do you want to try?" 

Blair's face turned to Jim's. His lips were red and swollen from Jim's rough kissing, and his face was flushed. He opened his eyes, looking at Jim lovingly though dark lashes. "Yes, please." 

Jim hitched Blair's leg over his hip and lubed his fingers. He slid his hand down to rub Blair's hot opening as Blair trembled and moaned. Jim gently slid a finger inside, and after slowly rubbing and stretching, Jim added a second, and then a third finger. As Blair's hips thrust onto Jim's fingers, Jim's mouth explored Blair's neck and shoulders. Jim slid out his fingers, making Blair groan and shudder. 

"Please, Jim. Please. Please. Jim." Blair begged in a whisper. 

Jim kissed his neck and face. "Shhh. Okay. I don't want to hurt you. Relax. How does it feel?" 

"Please hurry, Jim. It feels so good, so good. More, Jim, please." 

Jim lubed his dick thoroughly, and slowly worked his way into Blair's hot cavity. Blair tensed for a second, and Jim caressed his hip and stomach with a slow, warm hand. "Relax. Shh. Love you, Blair. That's good. Just a little more." Jim's efforts were rewarded when he was able to slide in the last inch as Blair relaxed under his ministrations. As Jim's shaft slid in, Blair's muscles contracted around it. The sensations caused Jim to tremble and moan into Blair's neck, making small love nips there. Jim knew he wouldn't last long as the hot flesh enveloping him was almost too much for his senses to take right now. He slowly started to thrust and Blair cried out Jim's name as his hands grabbed handfuls of the bed linens. Jim stopped. 

"Chief?" 

"Just so intense! Oh, my God. What you're doing, please, more, Jim, please. Don't stop!" 

Jim started slowly, and then faster and harder, the waves of pleasure washed over him like nothing he had ever felt before. He reached his hand to grasp Blair's dick, and his trusts matched his pumping of Blair's erection. Jim felt the hot curling in his groin, and the orgasm exploded out of his shaft into Blair's welcoming body, while Blair's orgasm sent him careening over the edge once again. 

Jim lay very still, breathing heavily, occasional shudders passing through his body. Jim slowly pulled his dick from Blair's languid body, as he sucked hard on Blair's shoulder. Then Jim rolled him over so that he could gaze into the face of his lover. Blair peeked at Jim through heavy eyelids. "I love you, Jim." He sighed contentedly, and drifted into a deep sleep. Jim pulled him closer, as if he could crawl into Blair's skin if only he could get close enough. He kissed his sweaty forehead. "I love you, Blair." He slept also. 

* * *

Several hours later, in the waning afternoon sun, Blair awoke and stretched several times. His thrashings woke his lover. Jim stretched also, smiling. 

"Shower?" 

Blair nodded. They made their way into the large, spotlessly clean shower. 

Jim laughed. "Hell, Blair, there's enough room in here for six people." 

Blair laughed with Jim. They dried each other, and dressed after gathering up the trail of clothes that Jim had strewn across the floor of the apartment. Blair was sitting on the end of the bed putting on his socks when Jim sat down heavily next to him. "Blair, I have to talk to you." 

"Sure, Jim, what is it?" 

"I told you I was a cop." 

"Yes, you did. So?" 

"I was sent to the party last night to get information on your family." Blair held his breath as Jim ran his hands over his face. "I shouldn't be telling you this, but I can't lie to you. I'm in love with you. I know we just met, but it's like it was meant to be. I have to be honest. I don't know what else to do, so here it is. We have information regarding your family corporation and some of the ways it makes its money. We know the vineyards and the wine business are legitimate, but there's reason to believe that there are illegitimate things going on. There's something big regarding stolen property, very high ticket items, and your SI Company handles the transactions, and funnels the money" 

Blair sat very still, and spoke quietly. "So you were sent to spy on us?" 

"Yes." 

"And what about what's happened between you and me?" 

"I never planned this. I don't know how or why it happened. I was so messed up. I couldn't control my senses. You helped me. I fell in love with you last night out in the vineyard. I can't explain it, but I need to be with you. I need you as much as I need to breathe. I'm pulling out of the case today." 

Blair jumped up and paced. "Damn it, Jim. How could you do this to me? I thought we had something. I thought we were going to have more." 

Jim grabbed Blair's shoulders. "Please, Blair, hear me out. Today, when I saw you, I felt so good. Like we belonged together. Please believe me, I don't want to hurt you, and I want us to have something more." Jim's voice dropped to a whisper. "I need to have something more." 

Blair breathed deeply with closed eyes. When he opened them, Jim could see the hurt in them. His throat tightened and he wanted to hold him. Instead, he waited quietly until Blair spoke. "Jim, I want you to tell me exactly what you think is going on, and what you know. You owe me that much. I can't explain it, but I don't feel like you're out to hurt me. I have this need to help you. I have to be with you. It's too strong to fight. I, ah, I don't want to fight it, but what are we going to do?" 

"I have no idea. We are so different. You have everything. I have a loft, a truck, and my gun. That's about it." 

"Please, Jim, for God's sake, don't dwell on material things. This is my life here. I don't want things, can't you understand that?" Blair took Jim's hand in his. "Jim, I want you." 

"Yes, Chief, I understand because I want you, too." 

After Jim had given Blair all the information that he had on Sandburg International, Blair was quiet for a long before he spoke. "I need to ask you a huge favor. It will be a giant leap of faith for you." 

"Anything, Blair. " 

"I need some time to look into some things. Please let me do this before you do anything else. I want to know if any of this is true. Please, Jim." 

Jim grasped Blair's hand that was picking at imaginary lint on his trousers, and pressed his lips to Blair's palm. "Take whatever time you need. You have my number. I'll wait for you to call." Jim kissed the side of Blair's face, and left. 

* * *

The next day, Jim was at home when his phone rang. "Ellison." 

"Hello, Jim. It's Blair. I hope I'm not interrupting, but I have some news." 

"How about I come and pick you up? It will be more private. Where are you?" With SI's connections, Jim wasn't taking any chances in case his phone was tapped, or he was being recorded with surveillance equipment. 

"At the Japan International dojo on Admiral Blvd." 

"I'll be by in about thirty minutes." 

* * *

"Say, Jim, this is a great truck." Blair grinned at he climbed in, admiring the green Ford F-150 extended cab. "I've always wanted a truck." 

"Why don't you just buy one? I'm sure you can afford it." 

Blair laughed. "It's not that easy. Mother wouldn't approve." 

"Does it bother you that you aren't allowed to just do what you want?" 

"Sometimes. I like being alone sometimes, but that hardly ever happens. I have lots of people who depend on my actions. I'm sure Teddy is looking for me right now." Blair sighed. 

"Why don't you just move out?" Jim glanced at his lover affectionately. 

"Oh, my God. Move out? My mother would have me committed to the nearest mental institution, believe me. She would never allow it." 

"Hello, Blair! You're a grown man. Do what you want." 

"It's not that easy. I have duties and responsibilities. But hey, it's not that bad. In fact, it's pretty good, most of the time. Jim, hey, man, let's not talk about this any more. I just want to have a good time, and be with you." 

"Sure, Chief." 

Jim parked, and they walked along the waterfront as Blair told Jim his efforts so far. "I've started to make a few very discreet inquiries, but I have to be really careful. Mother keeps a close eye on everything. I was searching in my mother's office when I found several suspicious bank statements and transaction reports. It's not going to be good. My mother will be extremely upset when she finds out what I've been doing." 

"Blair, maybe we should just forget the whole thing. It could be dangerous, and you're not a cop. I don't want anything to happen to you." 

"I know I'm not a cop, but, damn it, Jim, this is my life we're talking about here. I mean, I hate going behind her back, but she's left me no choice. If all this is true, then I can't condone her actions, and I refuse to be part of them. I know she is my mother, but this is so wrong." 

Jim moved closer to Blair so that their shoulders touched. "This is really rough. And I have a feeling it's going to get a hell of a lot rougher. I'll be here for you, whatever happens." 

Blair glanced at Jim with sad eyes. "Thanks. That helps a lot. I couldn't do this without you, but I have to do this for myself. I couldn't live with myself if what you say is true, and not do anything about it. My conscience wouldn't leave me a moment's peace. I can't live with that kind of cloud over my head. Oh, man, does that sound self-righteous or what?" 

"No, it doesn't sound self-righteous. You're doing this because you're an honorable person. I admire you a lot for it." 

"Thanks you, Jim, but I don't feel honorable, just sad." 

Jim laid his arm across Blair's shoulders. "Come on, Chief, you can buy me a hot dog." 

"Sure, Jim." 

They talked as they walked and ate. "So, Jim, are you feeling more in control about your senses?" 

"Well, it's been just a few days, so I'm not taking any chances, and I'm keeping everything way down, but yes, I feel like things are more in control. Since you came up with the idea of the dials, it's helped a lot, but I'm being really careful. I intend to stay out of dangerous situations as much as possible for a while. I'm still worried about that zone out stuff we talked about." 

Blair touched Jim's arm. "Let's try an experiment. See the flower stall two rows back?" 

"Yeah." 

"Try and smell the roses. You should be able to pick them out easily." 

"I'll never tried to single out a smell from so many others before. There are just too many." 

"No, you can do it. Just concentrate on the roses. Remember to use a light touch, and filter out the other smells." 

"Okay." Jim concentrated. "Yeah, it works! I can smell just the roses." 

"That's great! I know you'll get really good at this." Blair grinned, pleased with his student's quick abilities. 

Two young women brushed past the two men, one woman lightly brushing her arm against Blair's as they passed. She turned and smiled. "Excuse me." 

Blair gave her a dazzling Sandburg smile in return. "It's okay." Blair watched as the two women watched them, obviously interested. The women stopped to finger some scarves hanging from a booth about fifteen feet away, glancing under lashes at the two handsome men. 

"Jim!" Blair pulled on Jim's sleeve. "Earth to Jim!" 

Jim focused. "What?" 

"What are those two girls saying about us?" 

"Blair, I'm not going to eavesdrop on their conversation." 

"Come on. Try it just this once. They're watching us. They're interested. It's not like they are talking about something else. They're talking about us." 

Jim concentrated. He listened and laughed. "The one on the right said, I'll take the one with the long hair, he's adorable. The other girl said, good, I'll take the other one, he's definitely my type." 

Jim shrugged as Blair laughed and his eyes sparkled. "You interested?" 

Jim glanced at the attractive young ladies, then back to his lover. "I must be insane, totally insane, but no. I want to take you back to the loft, and kiss you, and do lots of other things to you until you scream." 

Blair turned on his heels, and strode purposefully away. Jim shouted at Blair, the women quickly forgotten. "Hey, where are you going?" 

Blair never slowed down as he gracefully turned back towards Jim. He walked backwards as he yelled, "Back to your place. Now." 

He spun on his heels, and kept going. Jim laughed as he hurried to catch up. 

* * *

Jim received the surprise of his life when they made it back to the loft. It made him grin like a fool when he thought about it later. He did not get to make Blair scream. It ended up being the other way around. 

Blair slowly undressed Jim. He smacked Jim's hand every time Jim tried to interfere. Jim laughed, and let Blair have his way. Blair stripped off own his clothes, and dropped on the bed, moving over and propping his head on his hand, admiring Jim's body. He liked Jim's broad shoulders and smooth, well-defined chest. He smiled as his eyes passed down Jim's taut stomach to his dick, hard and full, rising from a patch of light brown hair. He admired Jim's muscular legs. Blair grinned and patted the bed next to him invitingly as Jim joined his lover. 

They pressed their bodies against each other, chest to chest, kissing passionately and deeply. Blair pushed Jim over onto his back, and glided his tongue into Jim's mouth as Jim moaned and sucked Blair's tongue, tasting his delicious Blair-flavor. Blair pulled back, looking into Jim's eyes. "Where are the dials, Jim?" 

"Way down. I don't want to lose control. It's too much to handle. I can't control the dials, concentrate on you, and on what I'm feeling at the same time." 

"Turn them up, Jim. Now. Trust me. Turn them up, and leave them." Blair ran his hand down the side of Jim's face. Jim shivered slightly under his fingers. "Do you trust me?" 

"Yes." 

Blair leaned over and brushed his lips tenderly against Jim's. Blair's hair fell over Jim's face, and he could feel each individual strand as it brushed his body. Blair started slowly and gently kissing Jim's face and jaw, placing a trail of kisses down Jim's neck. Then Blair's lips traveled up Jim's neck to his ear. His lips were deliberately light as he kissed each inch of skin. He ran his hand over Jim's chest as he kissed him. His fingers found Jim's nipples, and he raked his nails gently until the nipples were hard and Jim moaned and trembled at the sensations. 

Blair's mouth placed a trail of soft kisses down Jim's shoulder and chest to suck the nipple, and scrape his teeth gently over it several times. As Blair's lips traveled across Jim's chest to the other nipple, Jim's breathing escalated and small tremors ran through his body. Blair stopped and studied his lover's face. His eyes were closed; he was breathing hard through his mouth with his teeth clenched. "Jim, you doing okay?" 

"Yes. Don't stop, please." 

As he licked his lips, the sight of his tongue sent a hot stab of desire right into Blair's shaft. Blair sidled back up Jim's torso; the hairs on Blair's body sent tiny shock waves right through Jim's skin as trembled. Blair's mouth covered Jim's, and he sucked his tongue hungrily. His kisses became more demanding, as he gradually applied more pressure. He kissed the side of Jim's face, then he found Jim's ear and licked every inch, finally putting his lips to it. "I want you more than you could possibly realize." Blair whispered. 

Blair's voice was so erotic and his breath was so hot that Jim thought his ear was on fire. His entire body was alive like it had never been before. Every nerve ending was open and singing. Blair continued his slow exploration of Jim's body, giving him time to gradually adjust, time to enjoy the new sensations. His mouth found the nipples again, as his hand found Jim's shaft. Blair's hand enjoyed the feel of the soft skin covering the hard shaft, so like his own, so different at the same time. As he started to stroke gently, a shudder rushed through Jim's body and he sucked in his breath sharply. Blair spoke to him encouragingly. "You're so wonderful, Jim. Relax and enjoy the ride. I love you. Your body is fantastic. I want to touch all of you." 

Blair murmured constantly as his hand stroked Jim's dick. Blair knew his voice helped Jim, like an anchor in the ocean of sensations. Jim moaned and started moving his hips in rhythm to Blair's stroking. Slowly, Blair worked his body down to rest his body between Jim's legs, never letting up his gently motions on Jim's shaft. His other hand stroked the delicate skin covering Jim's balls. Then he ran his fingers around the top of Jim's penis, gathering some of the juices. He touched a fingertip to Jim's asshole. Jim's muscles flexed as he moaned. Blair spread Jim's legs a bit wider with his elbows. His fingers caressed the cleft of Jim's ass, and with a delicate touch; he slid one finger into Jim's body. As Blair's finger hit his prostrate, Jim tensed as his world exploded. Lights flashed in front of his eyes. His body was shot with an electrical charge that made every hair stand up. The sensations overwhelmed him. 

Blair stopped and rubbed the palm of his hand on Jim's hip. His voice steadied Jim, amidst the relentless stimulation on his body. "Jim, I'm right here. I love you. I love touching you. I love making love to you." Blair watched as Jim steadied himself. Only when Blair saw Jim resurface did his hands resumed their rhythms once again. Blair smiled as he watched Jim gain control and once again enjoy the touch of Blair's hands, moaning and begging Blair for more. 

Blair pushed Jim's legs wider, and slid more fingers Jim's ass as Jim thrust frantically, trying to reach his orgasm. He moaned and shuddered. He pleaded for Blair to hurry. Blair released Jim's dick from his hand and pressed his hand firmly onto his pelvis. Jim groaned as Blair stopped his caressing of Jim's shaft. "No!" Jim cried as he tried to reach his own hand down to bring himself to climax. Blair pushed his hand away easily, and as Jim raised his head to look at Blair, to see why the wonderful feelings had stopped, when their eyes met, Blair's lips curved in an incredibly lustful smile. And as Jim watched, Blair took the head of Jim's dick into his mouth, running his tongue around the engorged head as he thrust his fingers in Jim's cavity, hitting his prostrate. As Blair sucked Jim's orgasm from his body, he screamed and shuddered from head to foot, over and over. 

Blair pressed his head against Jim's thigh as his own climax rushed up to meet Jim's, and Blair trembled and groaned, smiling, and then laughing out loud. The vibrations from Blair's laughter rippled through Jim's thigh, sending another tremor through his body. Blair moved to lie beside his lover, and he grinned as he looked at Jim. Jim's face was hot and sweaty; his short hair stood out from his head, and his eyes, when he finally managed to open them, and look at Blair, were heavy with satisfaction and pleasant exhaustion. His lips were red from Blair's demanding kisses. Blair's throat closed and he almost cried; Jim was so beautiful. He, Blair Sandburg, had done this to the man he loved. They both drifted to sleep, Blair's head on Jim's shoulder, their hands clasped together. 

* * *

Teddy lay in wait for Blair to arrive home from work that same evening. Blair stepped through the doorway to his room with barely 45 minutes to relax, shower and change for dinner promptly at 7:00 p.m. When Naomi was in the house, attendance was mandatory. Teddy gave Blair enough time to close the door before he pounced. "Blair!" 

Blair jumped. "Oh, my God, Teddy, what the hell are you doing?" 

"We need to talk." 

"Sure, man. What about?" 

"Jim Ellison." 

Blair tensed. "What about him?" 

Teddy's patience snapped. He clamped his hands on Blair's upper arms. "Your mother knows." 

"My mother knows what, exactly?" Blair asked as his throat started to tighten. 

"Blair, Kyle has been following him for the last two days. He recognized him the other night at the party from two years ago when he was busted for possession of marijuana. Jim Ellison was the cop who arrested him. He saw you and Ellison together in the vineyard. He saw Ellison take the penthouse elevator yesterday, and today he saw you with him at the pier. He's told your mother, and she raked me over the coals for over thirty minutes. She wanted to know what I know, and she is furious that you somehow managed to sneak off to be with him. She wants to see you in her study immediately." Blair stood quietly, mulling over this information. "Now, Blair." Teddy insisted. 

* * *

Blair knocked firmly on the door to his mother's suite. 

"Come in." 

Blair smiled as he crossed the room. "Hello, Mother. You wanted to see me? Teddy said it was important." 

Naomi did not return his smile. "Yes, Blair, sit across from me so I don't have to strain my neck to look up at you." 

"Yes, of course, Mother." He did not fidget, or act tense or frightened; he acted confident. 

Naomi appraised him coolly. "Blair, I've decided that your engagement to Miranda should be moved up to this year. In fact, I plan on announcing it within the month. I wanted to inform you of these plans. I have been advised that you have engaged in some tasteless activities the past few days. I am not going to discuss any unsubstantiated rumors with you, but suffice it to say that you will no longer engage in these activities. I have informed Teddy that he is to remain with you at all times, and that you and he are leaving in the morning for London. The jet leaves promptly at 10:00 a.m., and you will remain there in our suite until you are summoned back to Blackhawk. Should you fail to heed my instructions, I will see fit to initiate further actions that will insure that my instructions are followed. Do you understand me?" 

Blair's face was a blank slate. "Of course, Mother. I understand completely. Is that all? If so, I would like to be excused." 

"Yes, Blair, that is all. I will see you at dinner." 

* * *

Teddy stood outside the locked bathroom door. "Come on, Blair, let me in. If you're sick, I need to take your temperature. Please, Blair." 

"I'm not sick. Go away Teddy, please." 

"Blair, you have five minutes before dinner. You had better get down to the dining room. I'm going now. No use having Naomi angry at both of us." 

"I'll be on time. I promise." 

Blair managed to sit through dinner. He ate the food placed in front of him. He spoke politely to his mother, his cousin, and his companion. He waited the required amount of time after dinner for a bit of conversation. Then he politely excused himself, Teddy close on his heels. The second Teddy closed the door to Blair's room. Blair grabbed Teddy's hand. "Please, you have to help me. If you care about me at all, you'll help me." 

Teddy pulled Blair into his arms. "Blair, I love you. I'll do anything for you, but I won't do anything that will hurt you. I can't. Please don't ask me." 

Blair looked at him, blue eyes pleading. "Please help me." 

"Tell me what you want me to do." 

"I want you to help me find out about my mother, and what is going on in SI. The things I don't know about. I have to find out if it's true." 

"What kinds of things?" 

"Is the business a front for illegal operations? Are priceless stolen objects being brokered by SI?" 

Teddy looked at Blair sadly. "Yes, it's true." 

Blair was angry as he glared at his mentor. "Damn it, why wasn't I told?" 

"You were going to be told next year, after your engagement. Your mother wanted you to be firmly in place at the organization first. Then you would understand the reasons why this business provides a valuable service to many satisfied customers. Furthermore, you would know where your family's wealth comes from, and you would want to continue to provide for the family. Your mother and your cousin seem to think that you would not be able to live without all this." Teddy waved expansively, taking in the house and grounds with a sweep of his hand. "But, Blair, they don't know you like I do. I knew you wouldn't accept this part of the business. I begged your mother to let you run the vineyards, and give Kyle the reins, but she refused. She made it clear that if I interfered, I would never see you again. So I've taken steps to insure your continued safety." 

"Teddy, how long have you known about this, and what steps? What are you talking about?" 

Teddy lowered his voice, and moved his face to within inches of Blair's ear. "I've known since I first came to work for SI. I've never told you this before, but I became your guardian, Blair, I did a lot of things I'm not proud of." Teddy sighed and ran his hand over his hair. "Blair, listen, I have a paper trail long enough to sink your mother and the entire organization. I've kept it for years, as insurance, so to speak. But you would lose everything. There would be no more SI, no more Blackhawk. Everything would be gone. I have enough evidence to sink this whole damned pile of crap into an ocean of federal confiscation, never to rise again." 

Blair was silent, contemplating. "I want you to deliver all the paperwork to Jim Ellison. He knows what to do. Can you do that without getting caught? I don't want Kyle to see you, and I don't want anything to happen to you. Don't go to the station. You can take documentation right to him personally. Can you do that tonight? Now?" 

"Blair, it will take me a while to gather them together. I was very careful. I don't have anything here at the house. I have them in several bank safety deposit boxes spread across the county." 

"What about tomorrow? I am not going to London. Mother said we have to be at the airport by 10:00 a.m. I'm going to go to Jim's place instead." 

"No, that's too dangerous. That's the first place your mother will look for you. I'm sure she has people watching him right now. Just stay here where it's safe. If she even thinks you might go to him, she might have someone try to dissuade him from your relationship, if you understand my meaning. Besides, you wouldn't even get out of the house tonight. The alarm's been set, and the dogs are out." 

"Then you have to give me something that will keep me from flying out tomorrow. I have to be sick enough so that when she calls the doctor and he examines me, he tells her I'm not able to fly." 

"This is what we'll do. I'll go down and tell her you're running a fever, and quite ill. Then, just before the doctor arrives, you can swallow a bottle of Ipecac. In fact, make it really convincing, and barf on the doctor." 

Blair had to smile. "Good. Let's do it, Teddy. And tomorrow, as soon as possible, you have to go and get the papers. Deliver them to Jim before it's too late." 

Teddy nodded and set to work. 

The plan proved successful. Two hours later, the physician on call to the family informed Mrs. Sandburg that her son had a temperature of 102 and was nauseous. His diagnosis was the flu. The jacket draped over his arm, and the smell wafting in Naomi's direction indicated that Blair was, indeed, sick. 

Blair had managed to raise his temperature by a quick, hot shower and a quick, hot trip back over the past afternoon in the arms of his lover. It helped matters when Teddy brought him a glass of hot water to rinse out his mouth after he was sick. Naomi dismissed the doctor with a wave of her hand. She made her way to her son's room and entered quietly. She crossed the room, and looked at his sleeping form. Naomi touched two fingers to his forehead. He did seem a bit warm to her. She was satisfied, the deception was successful, and the trip was postponed for 48 hours. 

* * *

Blair's eyes popped open as soon as Naomi left, and he reached for his phone beside the bed. Thank God he had a private line, so there was no chance to be overheard. He quickly punched in Jim's home number. 

"Ellison." 

"Jim, it's me." 

"Chief, are you okay?" 

"Yes. Listen carefully. Teddy will be bringing you the papers sometime tomorrow evening. He says he needs time to gather them, because he has them stored in several safety deposit boxes in different banks. Teddy is beyond reproach. You can trust him. He has to be very careful, so please wait for him." 

"Good, Blair. I'll wait here for him. What about you?" 

Blair chuckled. "I'm under house arrest." 

"What!?" 

"It's okay, Jim. My mother found out about you. She's furious. I was supposed to fly to London in the morning, but Teddy and I managed to fake an illness, so she's put off my exile for 48 hours. That should give us plenty of time." 

"Blair, I'm coming to get you right now. It's too dangerous for you to be there by yourself." 

"NO! Do not, under any circumstances, come here. I'm safe. No one will hurt me here. It's just the opposite; all this is for my protection. You wouldn't get onto the grounds. There are alarms, armed guards and hungry dogs. Jim, I'll be fine." 

"I don't like this one bit. It's against my better judgment. I want to come and get you right now, and hold you, and keep you safe." 

Blair's voice was quiet. "Love you, too, Jim." 

Now, all Jim could do was wait. 

* * *

A sharp knocking on his door awakened James Ellison. He rolled over and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the alarm clock beside the bed. 11:06 p.m. "Damn it." He groused at himself as he rolled out of bed. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but after he had paced the floors for hours, waiting for Blair's mentor, Teddy, to arrive with the papers, exhaustion had taken over. He hadn't slept at all the previous night after Blair's phone call; his anxiety and frustration of a situation out of his control kept sleep from his body. Tonight, he was exhausted, had lain down for just a few minutes, and had fallen asleep. 

"Detective Ellison, do you know who I am?" The erect, well-dressed gentlemen stood calmly, surveying Jim with a critical eye. . 

"Yeah, you're that bodyguard of Blair's. Is he all right?" 

"May I come in?" 

"Oh, sorry. Yes, please." Jim sent his sense of smell and hearing gently over the man. His heart rate was fast and his breathing just a bit erratic. He was frightened, but did not show it. 

"First, tell me, is Blair okay?" 

"Yes, Blair is fine, for now. He told me that he contacted you last evening about this." Teddy pushed the file box into Jim's arms. "He said to tell you that it's all the proof you need. It's the paper trail you and he discussed. You should know that his mother found out about you and Blair. She is enraged, to say the least. You're being followed and watched. I'm probably also being watched, but it was worth the risk bringing you these papers. Please use them wisely. You must believe that Blair did not have any idea about what has been happening. When I told him, he insisted that you be informed immediately. I have to go; it's too dangerous for me, and for you." 

Teddy handed Jim a small square of paper. "This is my private phone number should you need to get in touch with me. Blair is very important to me. I would die to protect him. If you do anything to hurt him, you will regret it. Good bye, Detective, and good luck." 

He let himself out of the loft, and quickly descended the stairs, never seeing Kyle in the shadows in the alley between the buildings, watching as Teddy climbed back into his car, and drove away. 

Kyle watched Teddy leave with a black look on his face. He would deal with that bastard Ellison first. Then he would show Teddy what happened to anyone who dared betray the family. 

Jim quietly reflected for a minute. Normally when someone threatened him, Jim was not quite so calm about it, but he sensed that Teddy's threat was made out of his deep concern for Blair, not out of maliciousness towards Jim. He was a father guarding his son. Jim not only understood, but in fact, he admired him for it. Jim was glad Blair had Teddy to watch out for him. He had a feeling the next 24 hours were going to be extremely unpleasant for all involved. 

Jim opened the lid of the box and quickly scanned the contents. They were complete and authentic, and very damning. Sandburg International was going down, but only if he could secure the documents immediately. He had to get the documents to safety, and then he had to get to Blair. 

* * *

"Yeah, Captain Banks. I have a whole box of evidence right here. I need to get this to you as soon as possible. I don't want this stuff here. I have a funny feeling. I think someone's watching me. No, it's not anyone I've seen. It's just..." 

Jim stared at the phone that had just gone dead. Before he had a chance to react, the power kicked off, plunging the loft into darkness. The night sky was overcast, so very little light filtered in from the balcony windows. Jim sat very still and dialed up his hearing as Blair had taught him. Jim heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He tracked the steps as they climbed. He reached behind his back. Damn, he had left his gun under his pillow where he had slid it when he first laid down, and had left it there when he answered the door. 

"Not a smart move, Ellison." He thought quickly, as he raced up the stairs to retrieve his pistol. On noiseless bare feet he made it to the window that led to the fire escape. He raised the sash as slowly and silently as possible. He had raised the window about half way when he heard the click of a pistol, giving him enough time to dive back into the room. The whine, followed by the thud of a bullet hitting the window frame, indicated a silencer. So he had two unseen assailants to deal with. He kept low and started back down the stairs when the assailant at the front door shot the lock through with another silenced weapon. 

Jim took stock of his situation. His interrupted call to Banks would have alerted the Captain to trouble. A backup unit could be as close as five minutes or as far as 15. Jim listened. In the distance, Jim heard a siren wail, but he figured it would be too late; the two gun-wielding maniacs would be on him in just seconds, so he had better think fast. He listened to the footsteps of the intruder searching the first floor. It was so dark that Jim couldn't see. 

"Ellison, dial your eyesight. Blair taught you that." Slowly he dialed until it was as bright as daylight. Now he had the advantage. He sidled across the floor to an advantageous position, listening carefully as the first floor intruder climbed the stairs to the loft, and the second intruder climbed the fire escape stairs. His only advantage was the total darkness. 

Jim's blood pounded at his temples. He breathed in and out several times slowly to stop the pounding. He could do this. He could control two of his senses at the same time. He heard the window slowly grind in the wooden tracks as it was pushed open the last few inches. He heard the footsteps of the first intruder climb the stairs. They would not know that Jim had the advantage of night vision. He grimaced as he calculated. He had to time it just right. One or the other would be able to see the flash from his muzzle. He had to get them both quickly before either had a chance to pinpoint his position. 

Jim swallowed hard as he listened. The intruder on the stairs would be the first to make an appearance into his line of fire. He readied, aimed. The blond head crossed into his line of vision, and he fired. He turned the gun to the right, firing at a second dark head that appeared in his line of fire. Both bullets hit their marks. He sat for a second, regrouping. He went over to the body hanging across the window ledge first. The man was dead. Then he went to check the intruder slumped at the top of the stairs. Jim's breath caught in his throat. Oh, God, it was Blair's cousin. And Jim had killed him. 

* * *

"I don't believe you." Blair spoke through clenched teeth. "You're lying. You just want to keep me here under your thumb. Well, I am not staying any longer. I'm leaving right now." Blair started for the door, but Naomi blocked his path. 

"Why would I lie? That bastard killed Kyle. Ask Teddy. He had to go down and ID the body. And you actually let that monster touch you? You're pathetic, Blair, absolutely pathetic." Naomi hissed at her son. "Go to your room, now. Get out. I can't stand the sight of you." 

That friendly informant in the police department that was on Naomi's payroll had let her in on the fact that the police had gathered enough information to set the Feds on Sandburg International. Things were falling apart quickly. And her son? He was taking on his holier than thou attitude, telling her, of all people, how wrong her activities were. And just where did he think all that money, power, and luxury came from? But Blair bit back. He threw it in her face that he didn't want any of it. That he wanted out, immediately, and permanently. 

Blair went to his room, and slammed the door hard. He paced furiously, running his hands through his hair, as his thoughts tumbled over one another. 

It was impossible. Jim wouldn't kill Kyle. Why would he? They didn't even know each other. But wait, they did. Teddy had told him that Jim was the cop who arrested him two years ago for possession. But why would Jim kill him? His mother had admitted that she had sent Kyle to warn Jim off, to insist that Blair was not fair game. She claimed she was trying to protect him. Kyle didn't even have a gun, she said. And how could Jim get away with a cold-blooded murder? She had smirked at his gullibility. He's a cop; they protect their own. Why? Why had he done this? 

The door opened, and Teddy crossed the room quickly, touching Blair's shoulder. Blair shook him off. "Get out, please. I need to be alone." 

"Blair, listen. I was eavesdropping. Your mother is lying. Jim killed Kyle, that's true, but it was self-defense. Kyle went after Jim right in his own home. He broke in the front door while another of his thugs came in through the window. Believe me, Kyle was well armed. They had Jim trapped in his bedroom. He had to fire in self-defense. He killed them both." 

Blair stopped, thinking, listening. He looked at Teddy, his face pale. He didn't know what was worse, that his mother was a liar or that she wasn't. "Why would she lie?" 

"She's going to jail. She's lashing out at everyone. Everything she's worked for is falling apart; everything is gone. The police will be here in minutes. Blair, listen to me. I've just spoken with Jim; I told him what was happening; and that everything was going downhill quickly. Jim wants you out of here right now. He wants you to meet him. I told him I would take you to him. What do you want to do?" 

"But, Teddy, she's my mother. She's supposed to love me." 

"Blair, I know it's hard. Naomi does love you, in her own way. I love you. And Jim loves you. He said you saved his life." 

"What?" 

"I don't understand it either, but he said you saved his life." 

It must have something to do with his senses, Blair figured. Jim used his senses to kill Kyle, and he saved his own life. Blair helped because he helped Jim work on his senses just a bit. They had only two short lessons. Jim needed a lot of more of those lessons to learn more control, and Blair had hoped that there would be a lot more of them, especially if they ended up like the ones they had had already. Yes, he had loved Kyle because Kyle was family, but he loved Jim, too, down to his very soul. He needed Jim. He wanted Jim. 

"Teddy, please take me to him." 

"Good boy. Let's go, and hurry. The guards have all taken off. Most of the servants are gone. They know the worst is coming. We won't have any trouble getting out of here." 

* * *

They never made it out the front door. One of the servants came screaming through the house, running headlong into Blair and Teddy as they crossed the foyer to make their escape. Teddy grabbed the hysterical woman by the arms, shaking her. Blair touched Teddy's arm, stilling him. 

"Betty, calm down. What's wrong?" Blair talked to her quietly, in a calming voice Teddy had never heard before. "It's okay. Tell me what's wrong." 

"Oh, Mr. Blair, it's your mother. She's out in the pool house. She has a gun, and she says she's going to kill you and then herself." 

"Call the police, Betty. Now!" 

Blair sprinted down the hall towards the back of the house, with Teddy fast on his heels. They made it to the pool house just as the door was flung open. Wild-eyed and disheveled, Naomi strode out, brandishing the pistol before her, aiming wildly at them. Blair approached her calmly and slowly. 

"Mother, give me the gun. Come on, Mother. Please give me the gun." 

Teddy drew his pistol, and reached his hand up to clamp Blair's shoulder to pull him back. Blair caught sight of the gun in Teddy's hand. In one fluid motion honed in many martial arts training sessions, he quickly disarmed Teddy and pushed him back, putting himself between Naomi and his mentor. He tossed the gun away, where it landed on the other side of a wall of bushes. Teddy regained his equilibrium and once again, grabbed Blair's shoulder, desperately trying to pull him to safety. Naomi watched Teddy's protective movements towards Blair. His proprietary actions irritated her. Her brain rebelled at the thought that he felt he had more of a right to Blair than she had. She raised the gun and fired, hitting Teddy in the thigh. He screamed and crumpled to the ground. Blair's first instinct was to help him, but his mother still had the pistol in her hand, and was still advancing on him. 

Blair looked back at her. He tried to calm his shaking voice. "Mother, please. Please stop. You don't want to hurt anybody. Just give me the gun." 

Naomi finally stopped several arm lengths away. Her eyes were blazing with fury; she was beyond reason, blinded by her own greed, her mind clouded and vengeful. "You're a traitor. You betrayed me. You're no son of mine." Naomi's words cut Blair's heart. 

She raised the gun and fired. The bullet missed, but Blair was startled by his mother's attack. He never thought she would actually fire on him. She fired again, but the weapon only clicked. Naomi threw the pistol at Blair, hitting him on the shoulder. He automatically ducked. He started to stand back up, but he didn't have enough time to regain his balance and react when Naomi, with the adrenaline screaming in her body, managed to swing one of the heavy deck chairs at Blair, hitting him in the head. She released the chair as she swung it, and the momentum carried him over the side of the pool. He was tangled in the chair, and sank quickly, and laying still. Naomi tiredly laid down on the closest chair, and threw her arm over her eyes. 

Teddy screamed at her, frantically dragging himself over to the side of the pool, staring at Blair as he lay motionless on the bottom. Bullet or not, he was going to enter the water. The sounds of sirens pulling up in front of the house never registered with Teddy whose only thought was for Blair. Suddenly there were police swarming everywhere. Teddy was ready to enter the water when hands pulled him back, and someone dove in. He cried out over and over to please save his boy before he passed out to please save his boy. 

* * *

Blair felt the hard metal chair smack him squarely on the forehead, and he didn't remember anything else until he felt cold. He started shivering and could not stop. He hated to be cold. Then he saw the green tunnel. He looked down, and instead of seeing his legs and feet, he saw paws. He looked behind him. His back was covered with dark fur; black and gray streaked with white. He had a long bushy tail. His tongue hung from his mouth. He indeed had paws and a tail. He wasn't Blair any longer, but then again, in this strange, dreamlike world, he was. But he was also a wolf. 

He ran headlong down the long green corridor. Not a hallway, not a tunnel as he had first thought, but a jungle trail. The green was vegetation. There was something coming. He stopped, considering. He should run the other way. He didn't want to run the other way; he wanted to run toward the other thing. He started loping and then running toward the other... animal. As he got closer and closer, he saw that it was large, and black, and had yellow eyes. It was a panther, but not just any panther, it was... Jim! The thought flashed quickly through his wolf brain as he raced towards the panther, and did not stop, not even when they crashed into each other. But then again, they didn't crash. They melted into each other. Became one. And it felt good. It was warm. Blair breathed again and again. He liked being warm. He sighed contentedly. 

* * *

A familiar voice broke through the darkness. The tone was quiet, but insistent. "Come on, Blair. Wake up. Time to open those pretty blue eyes." Blair struggled to obey the persistent voice. "Chief, wake up for me. I've been waiting for you." 

Something (a kiss?) touched his forehead. He fought the lethargy. His brain started working again. Jim? Did he say it out loud or just think it? He tried to open his eyes. Finally, after the third or fourth attempt, he could see a bit of light. Someone (Jim!) rubbed his arm and spoke quietly. He tried to talk, to answer the voice, to call for his lover. 

"...iimm" 

"Blair, I'm right here." His hand. Someone was touching his hand, lacing his fingers with theirs. He could feel it now. He forced his eyes open. A blurry shape moved in his line of vision. Blair felt a hand on his forehead. "Come on, Blair. That's it. You can do it. I love you." Blair blinked several times, each time things became a little clearer. Finally, he could see. And he saw Jim, who smiled at him. 

"Hey. It's about time." 

A corner of his mouth curled up a bit. "Hi." He managed to speak. Jim was thrilled. 

"Hi, yourself." Jim kissed his forehead again as Blair sighed. He closed his eyes. Fingers brushed the side of his face. "Are you sleepy, Chief?" 

"Yes." Blair checked his body. Everything seemed to be there. He wiggled his toes, and flexed his leg muscles a bit. He could feel his right hand. Jim was holding it. He wiggled his fingers. Another thing that worked. He tried his left. He could move it. Good, everything was working. He needed Jim to hold both of his hands. He would have asked him to hold him if he could, but he was just too exhausted. Jim watched Blair intently. Without Blair having to say a word, Jim enveloped both of Blair's hands between his strong warm ones. Blair smiled, and fell asleep 

* * *

When Blair woke again hours later, Jim was still waiting at his side. He recognized the change in Blair's breathing pattern indicating the transition from sleeping to waking instantly, even though he had been dozing in the chair next to Blair's bed. Jim had discovered that if he put his brain on alert, he could actually sleep while his mind kept watch. When Blair's breathing changed, his mind alerted him instantly of that fact. 

Jim had discovered several other important and interesting facts during the last twenty-four hours. He had catalogued Blair's respiration and heart rate in varying degrees over that time period. When he had pulled Blair out of the pool, Jim had scanned him quickly, realizing that his heart was not beating, a very painful thing for Jim to catalogue. Then when Blair's heart began to beat after the events that transpired on the tiled walkway, Jim cataloged the sounds of Blair's heart and respiration as unconsciousness. Definitely better than dead, but still not good. 

Jim had patiently listened to Blair's body for another 10 hours before he was rewarded with the sound of Blair crossing from unconsciousness to sleep, and then to lethargic wakefulness. Finally, after another long wait, Jim was able to catalogue the transition from asleep to awake. Every stage of Blair's condition was carefully analyzed and stored in the Sentinel's brain, along with Blair's form and scent, the different tastes of his body, the touch of his skin and hair under Jim's fingers, 

"Good afternoon, sleeping beauty." Jim beamed at Blair. 

Blair smiled. "Hello, Jim." 

Jim sat on the edge of the bed, taking Blair's hand in his. "How are you feeling?" 

Blair considered. "Okay. Tired. And thirsty." 

Jim grinned. "I figured you might be." He reached over to the tray beside the bed. "I have orange juice." Jim held up two small plastic containers. 

"Thank you. That would be good." Blair's voice was quiet as he watched Jim through his dark lashes. Jim raised the bed so Blair was comfortable, putting several pillows behind his shoulders. He opened the containers and watched as Blair drank the orange juice thirstily. 

Jim held onto Blair's hand. "Better?" 

"Yes." Blair looked at his lover solemnly. "Jim, something really strange happened while I was unconscious." 

Jim watched him closely. "Blair, you weren't just unconscious when I pulled you out of the pool. You were dead." 

Blair ran his hand across his forehead and sighed. "It was so weird. I was shaking I was so cold. Then I saw myself, but I wasn't myself, I was a wolf. And I was walking down this long jungle trail. Then I started running towards this other thing. It was a panther. I remember thinking it was you. We ran towards each other until we collided. But we didn't hit each other; we united in a huge ball of white light. And then I remember breathing and feeling warm." He looked at Jim's statement of disbelief. "I told you it was weird." 

"Blair, I saw the same thing." 

Blair's eyes were wide with surprise. "Whoa, Jim, you're telling me you had the same, what, vision or dream?" 

"Yeah, I saw the panther and the wolf. I saw the white light. And then you were breathing. At first, I tried giving you CPR, but it wasn't working. Then the paramedics came and they tried to revive you, but when they decided they couldn't help you, and said you were dead, I kind of freaked. I told them they were crazy, that you couldn't be dead. Then when I was kneeling beside you, my hands started burning. Really burning badly so that it brought tears to my eyes. But when I looked at them, they looked, well, normal. Then I heard a voice. I swear it was your voice. It said to use the power of my animal spirit to guide you back." Jim stopped, reliving the experience. He shook his head slightly to clear it. 

Blair reached up and touched his arm. "Go on, Jim, please. Then what happened?" 

Jim's voice was a bit unsteady. "I didn't understand what to do. My hands hurt so badly. I looked at them and then at you, just lying there dead. I don't know what made me do it, but I put a hand on either side of your face. A jolt of lightning hit me, and then I saw the panther and the wolf unite. My hands stopped hurting, and you were throwing up water. Your heart was beating, and you were breathing again." 

"Wow. Jim, you saved my life. Thank you." Blair looked at his lover with love and awe. 

Jim leaned over and kissed Blair's forehead. "You're welcome. I think." Jim was still not entirely convinced he had anything to do with Blair's resurrection. 

Blair smiled. He, on the other hand, had no such reservations. "This must have something to do with your Sentinel abilities. I just know it. Maybe we should look into this Sentinel stuff further when you're ready, and when I get out of here." 

"Well, was definitely a strange trip, but I'm happy that it worked out." 

"Me, too." 

Jim squeezed Blair's hand. "You want me to tell you the news now?" Blair nodded, afraid to speak. 

"The good news first. Your friend, Teddy, is doing just fine. He had to have surgery on his leg, but the doctors removed the bullet and he should be up and around in just a few days. He's right down the hall, and I told him I would bring you down when you were up to it." 

Blair's eyes were wet around the edges. He swallowed, and his voice was very quiet. "Thank God. I would like to see him soon, please." 

"Of course. Whenever you're ready. Chief, your mother is not doing very well." 

Blair picked at the sheets with nervous fingers. "Where is she?" 

"She's being held at Conover. The judge ordered a 30-day psychiatric observation. If she's found mentally fit, there will be a hell of a lot of charges filed against her. Blair, she was there when the paramedics said you were dead. At first she went crazy, and then she went into a catatonic state. The doctors don't know about her prognosis right now. She didn't see you come back, Blair, she only heard that you were dead. The doctors think the shock of seeing you like that was too much for her mind to handle. They say they can only wait and see what happens. Blair, I'm so sorry." 

Now, much to Blair's embarrassment, the tears managed to leak out and fall. He brushed them away impatiently. "Jim, do you think I could be alone for a while?" He did not meet Jim's concerned gaze. 

Jim moved closer. "No, I don't think you should be alone, but I'll leave if you want me to." He reached out and tried to draw Blair into an embrace, but Blair put his hands against Jim's shoulders, holding him off. His head was bent. Jim planted a quick kiss on the top of his head. That tender gesture triggered something in Blair, because he moved his hands from their defensive position and slid them around Jim. Jim hugged his tightly; stroking Blair's hair as Blair leaned against him, taking comfort from his lover. Jim's throat closed up on him. He swallowed. He had better say it now. It had to be brought out in the open; had to be talked about. 

"Chief, I'm so sorry about your cousin. I'm really sorry. I had no choice. I understand if you can't forgive me. I can only say how sorry I am." Jim stopped, and sighed deeply. Blair just nodded, and hugged him tighter. Jim rubbed Blair's shoulders as they sat for many long minutes until Blair's breathing and heart rate finally returned to normal 

Jim put his hands on Blair's shoulders, and moved him back a bit so Jim could see Blair's face. He put a finger under Blair's chin, and raised his head. Blair's summer sky blue eyes met Jim's crystal blue ones. Jim smiled. Blair tried to smile back. Jim brushed a soft kiss across Blair's lips. Then Blair did smile just a bit, and kissed Jim back. 

"Are we going to be okay, you and me?" 

"Yes, Jim, we'll be okay. I know what happened, and I understand. It wasn't your fault. And I'll be okay as long as you're here." Blair leaned back against Jim's chest. 

"Thank you, Blair." Jim nuzzled the top of Blair's head, breathing in the Blair fragrance, and rested his cheek against Blair's head. Blair's smell was something he was now associating with love, and belonging, and comfort. "Say, you had better get some rest if you expect that doctor to ever let you out of here." 

"Sure, Jim. I'm still kind of tired." 

Jim kissed Blair's forehead. He pulled his chair close to the bed. Blair looked at him with sleepy eyes. "You don't have to stay, you know, you look tired yourself." 

"I'll stay until you fall asleep, and then I'll go home for a quick shower and a nap." 

"Promise?" 

"Yes, Blair, I promise. I love you." 

"Me, too. I love you, Jim." 

* * *

"Good news, Chief, you're getting out of here in the morning." 

"Thank God. I'm really tired of this place." 

Jim chuckled at he planted a kiss on Blair's cheek and sat on the bed, reaching out arms to Blair for a hug. "I want to ask you a very important question." 

Blair snuggled in, wrapping his arms around Jim's waist. "What question?" 

"Will you come and stay at my place?" 

Blair pulled back and looked up at Jim's questioning eyes. "Why, Jim, thank you very much. That is really nice of you to invite me." 

"Damn it, Blair, do you have to be so proper?" 

"Sorry, force of habit. I was raised to be very polite at all times. I'll try to be mean and nasty more often, if that's what you want." 

Jim smiled. "So you'll come?" 

"Sure. Do you have enough room?" 

"I have a king size bed." 

"Oh." 

"'Oh.' What the hell does that mean?" 

"You didn't just ask me to come and spend a night or two, did you?" 

Jim chuckled quietly. "No, bright boy. I didn't just ask you to come and spend a night or two." 

"You mean..." Jim kissed Blair's lips. //for good// 

"Yes." 

"And I can stay with you..." Another kiss. //forever// 

"Yes." 

"And we'll be..." Another kiss. //lovers// 

"Yes." 

"We're doing this...." Another kiss. //again!// 

"Oh, yes." 

"One more thing, Jim." 

"Hmm." Jim's voice was muffled as he buried his face in Blair's neck, just the tip of his tongue tasting the salty skin. Jim raised his head, listening. 

"May I make love..." Another kiss. //to you?// 

"Blair, how could I refuse you anything when you ask so nicely? Yes, you may." 

* * *

"I hope you like it here. Everything I have is yours, you know that, such as it is." Jim leaned over the back of the sofa on which Blair laid, covered in a plaid blanket. Jim wanted him to rest since this was Blair's first day home, even though Blair had told him he wasn't tired. Jim pressed his lips lightly in the middle of Blair's curly head. 

"Jim, it will be great. All I want is to be here with you. I don't need anything else, except an occasional sandwich. Other than that, I'm fine. Thank you." Blair's dusky blue eyes smiled at Jim. Jim's heart skipped a beat. 

"I think I can manage that. Anyway, I'm a hell of a good cook. I'll prove it to you tonight." 

"I'll look forward to it." 

Jim came around the sofa, and sat on the arm facing Blair. "I have some good news." 

"Yes?" 

"It's up to you, of course, but I've talked to a friend of mine in the administration office at the Cascade PD. They have a couple of openings for people in their department. I mentioned that you had a business degree and that you are a computer genius. If you like, they would be willing to interview you for a job. It would help keep us in groceries." 

Blair's face brightened. "Really? Okay. Then, at least I would get to see you sometimes during the day if we're in the same building. I was wondering how I would be able to pay for my room and board." 

"Well, there's something else I should tell you. I took a leave of absence from active duty for six months. I told the captain that I was feeling stressed, and they've reassigned me to desk duty. I think I had better get a handle on these senses before anyone gets hurt or killed especially me. So I wanted to ask you if you, ah, if you would help me, and hopefully, when the six months is up, I will be able to better handle myself. I thought about it a lot, and I would like it if you would be my partner." 

Blair watched him closely. Jim was a bit apprehensive about asking Blair's help. Blair understood Jim's need for self-reliance. "Jim, I'd be happy to help you. There's a great library at the University where I can do some research. I want to try and find out as much as possible about Sentinels. And I have some specific ideas on training exercises for you. Also, we should do some experiments to test the limits of your abilities." 

Jim rolled his eyes. "Now, why doesn't that surprise me? I knew you would have specific ideas. But you have to promise me not to experiment on me all the time. I won't like feeling like a lab rat, that's for sure." 

Blair looked up at Jim, and shook his head. "You know, Jim, for a tough guy, you sure are a big baby. I mean, what's a little brain surgery between friends? I'd make sure they used anesthetic. Also, I figure I can hook you up for a brain scan and for some neurological tests. You know, to see what the difference is between your brain patterns and a normal person. I know this guy who's a veterinarian. I bet he would let me use his lab." 

"What? Hold on, there, Doctor Frankenstein. You're not dissecting anything on me, and that's final. And no electric shock, either." Jim looked at Blair's face. Blair's eyes were laughing, and his lips were twitching. Jim glared at him. "You know, Chief, it's a good thing you're recovering or you would be in major trouble about now." 

A grin spread across Blair's face. "Oh, really? What kind of trouble?" Blair's tongue slowly licked his lips as he reached his arms over his head to stretch his body. Jim eyed him closely, noting that Blair had managed to expose his firm stomach while he stretched, and that the blanket somehow slipped off, so that as he arched his back, his jeans just happened to be pulled taunt over his groin area. The guy was so transparent. Jim chuckled, and the rush of blood to his dick reminded him it had been a few days since he had given it proper exercise. 

"Back to business first, Ellison." He reprimanded himself, dragging his eyes from Blair's body and his mind back to the conversation. "Blair, the last thing I need to tell you is that the Captain of Major Crime, Banks, he told me that when I come back, there's a slot in his detective division for me if I want it. They were impressed with my work on this case. I told them you deserved all the credit. You and Teddy. And speaking of Teddy, when will he be back in Cascade?"" 

"Congratulations. That's almost like a promotion, isn't it?" Blair yawned unexpectedly as he covered his mouth with his hand. "Sorry. I might need a nap after all. Teddy told me that his sister told him in no uncertain terms that he would not be traveling until he was completely recovered, so he's staying in Portland for a few more weeks. Then he's going to come and visit." Blair yawned again. 

Jim came around the sofa and sat on the floor close next to Blair. He put his hand on Blair's chest, feeling the strong beating of Blair's heart under his fingers. He shivered slightly. 

"Jim?" 

"I'm okay. Just one of those aftershocks. Since I've been actively using my senses, sometimes I get them. I'm just happy you're here. And I'm happy that your mother seems to be doing better." 

"She's agreed to let me come and see her during visiting hours while she's waiting for trial. I'm glad she's going to be okay. I know it's a funny thing to say, but I'd rather have her alive and in jail, than dead or in Conover. At least this way we'll have some chance at a reconciliation." 

"Blair, just give her some time. I'm sure she loves you. Hopefully, she will come to realize that you didn't do this just to hurt her, but that you did the right thing." 

Blair was very quiet. "I hope so. I do love her, even after all of this." 

"I know you do, Chief, and I hope someday she realizes that." 

Blair slid down onto the sofa, making himself comfortable. Jim pulled the blanket back over him as Blair yawned again. He watched Jim with sleepy blue eyes. "Hey, do you think that after I have a nap, and after we eat the dinner that you promised to cook, that you and I could discuss astronomy?" 

"Astronomy? You means the stars and the planets?" 

Blair grinned wickedly. "No, Jim, I mean the big bang theory." 

Jim smiled as he placed a soft kiss on his lover's inviting lips. "Chief, you have a one- track mind. I'll discuss anything with you. Any time. Any place. You just say the word." 

* * *

End Star Cross'd by LilyK: chakbalam@netscape.net

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Disclaimer: _The Sentinel_ is owned etc. by Pet Fly, Inc. These pages and the stories on them are not meant to infringe on, nor are they endorsed by, Pet Fly, Inc. and Paramount. 


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